Nonureva Really Surprised!

Fairaher The film makes a home in your brain and the only cure is to see it again.

Marva It is an exhilarating, distressing, funny and profound film, with one of the more memorable film scores in years,

Haven Kaycee It is encouraging that the film ends so strongly.Otherwise, it wouldn't have been a particularly memorable film

mark.waltz The death of Bela Lugosi in 1956 didn't instantly create a legend. That took time. But shortly after his death, an independent film honored him (sort of) by naming a character in this "Dracula" film "Bellac", obviously influenced by the forgotten old man of horror who had died in obscurity. Certainly, he had unreleased films ("Plan Nine From Outer Space"), but Bela Lugosi had slipped so far into obscurity that the only films he could get were so down the line of poverty row that they made his Monogram films look as if they had come from MGM. "Dracula" here is Francis Lederer, a grand old villain of the silver screen, once a romantic lead, but later cast in a variety of sinister roles, and now cast as the infamous Hungarian count. Somehow brought back from the dead after being killed in various ways under the acting chops of Lugosi, Lon Chaney Jr., and John Carradine, Dracula made a major comeback in the late 1950's. Not only was there Lederer in this enjoyable but predictable programmer, but Christopher Lee, who would create another legend in a series of Hammer films where he took over the role of the count, playing him more times on screen than any other actor.Lederer's dashing older count has immigrated from Hungary to the United States, pretending to be "Bellac", a cousin of the Mayberry family (no relation to Andy Taylor's Mayberry). Strange occurrences begin to happen, including the sudden death of their cousin (Virginia Vincent), and when pretty Norma Eberhardt meets Lederer, she becomes disturbingly fascinated with him, even though she's involved with Ray Stricklyn. It's apparent that something involving Vincent's death is tied in with Lederer, and it is ironically on Halloween (during a stereotypical local party) that Eberhardt's obsession comes to its full power, following Lederer to an abandoned mine while a local priest and a European vampire hunter decide to check in on Vincent's casket.Some amusing character performances includes a Margaret Hamilton like aunt who dresses as a witch, Eberhardt's younger brother (Jimmy Baird) who gets some really good lines (especially while in costume when asked where is costume is!), and John Wengraf as the visiting vampire hunter. This is a fine mixture of light comedy and gothic horror, with Lederer good in his one appearance as Mr. Toothy. Unfortunately, he is never seen exposing his fangs, so that does take away some of the horror element. I can see why this one has fallen into obscurity when compared to the Hammer series which took off right at the same time.

BA_Harrison The same year that British studio Hammer gave us their classic version of Dracula, America produced this far more tepid and forgettable contemporary affair, in which the infamous Count (Francis Lederer) kills European artist Bellac Gordal (Norbert Schiller), assumes his identity, and travels to a small town in California to stay with the dead man's relatives, the Mayberrys. Once there, Dracula proceeds to take a bite out of the family cat, has a suck on sickly blind girl Jennie (Virginia Vincent) and tries to 'turn' Rachel Mayberry (Norma Eberhardt). Meanwhile, European cop/vampire hunter John Merriman (John Wengraf) arrives in town, stakes at the ready.A cheap B-grade drive-in flick, The Return of Dracula is more apple pie and white picket fences than blood red fangs and storm lashed castles, much of the action revolving around Rachel's wholesome relationship with boyfriend Tim (Ray Stricklyn) and her part time job at the Parish Home looking after the elderly and the infirm. Dracula's antics are fairly limited, the Count's only human victim being poor Jennie, who in turn puts the bite on immigration investigator Mack Bryant (Charles Tannen). For most of the time, Drac is hidden away in his room, or in his coffin, which is stowed away in a disused mine (don't ask how he got it there).The film's most effective moments are when Dracula enters Jennie's room in mist form (Rachel having thoughtfully opened the window and removed the poor girl's cross pendant), and a brief moment in colour: the bloody staking of Jennie in her coffin. Unfortunately, the film's shortcomings easily outweigh its positives: a scare-free script; a vampire without fangs (we never see his protruding canines and he leaves no bite marks, leaving us to wonder exactly how he drains his victim's blood); humdrum performances; and a sudden accidental demise for the vampire, clumsy old Drac falling down a pit while backing away from a cross. Doh!

Scott LeBrun Count Dracula (Francis Lederer) flees the forces of vampire hunter Meierman (John Wengraf), a modern day Van Helsing, and murders a local named Bellac (Norbert Schiller) who's headed for America to visit his cousins, assuming the other mans' identity. The American branch of the family is a little perplexed by his odd behaviour, but not enough to actively question it until Meierman turns up determined to finish what he started."The Return of Dracula" was another collaboration for screenwriter Pat Fielder and director Paul Landres, who'd previously done another genre film, "The Vampire". As such, it's basically a routine B movie, but not badly done at all. In fact, Landres and crew do give this movie a respectable amount of atmosphere; the scenes with Dracula are always the best. The sharp featured Lederer is a fine choice for the role, as he has an undeniable intensity and presence. The opening credits sequence is nice and creepy as it plays out over a shot of the Count where only his eyes are lit. Anytime the Count is out to seduce his "cousin" Rachel (beautiful Norma Eberhardt), or her pretty, appealing friend Jennie (Virginia Vincent), or emerging from his coffin, the movie is fun in the true old school tradition, with a music score by Gerald Fried that uses the classic "Dies Irae" theme. The cave is a fine location, where Dracula can put his coffin, and in which to stage the climax. It's always cool when the camera pans to show Dracula is present in a scene, although the filmmakers would have done better to refrain from obvious musical stings when this happens.The capable acting from the supporting cast helps, with Wengraf an earnest vampire hunter, Greta Granstedt as Rachels' unknowing mother Cora, Ray Stricklyn as Rachels' would be boyfriend Tim, Gage Clarke as the Reverend Doctor Whitfield, Robert Lynn as Dr. Paul Beecher, and Charles Tannen as Bryant, the man from Immigration.One of the best overall elements to enjoy in "The Return of Dracula" is that for a movie almost entirely shot in black & white, the brief burst of red when blood seeps out of a staked victim is a real visual treat. It's an effectively tight and trim little movie with an amusing, somewhat unpredictable ending, and is worth a look.Seven out of 10.

BaronBl00d Not a bad Dracula updated adaptation as a man readying for a journey in Romania is killed and his identity stolen(seems to have been a problem even then). He moves in with his "family' only to start wreaking havoc in a small Californian town. The small town atmosphere is carried off fairly nicely in large part to the small town characterizations from the cast - most of whom were either character actors or unknowns at the time. Exception is Francis Lederer as the vampire with a very thick accent, but actually he gives some credibility to the role of the brooding, oft charming, malignant force cast into the lives of these newly found innocents. John Wengraf plays the Van Helsing type and is interesting when on screen yet the part is way too underdeveloped. There is not much for plot here to be honest and the story quickly wraps up in the last third, but director Paul Landres has competence(and a whole television episode list as his resume)and creates some effective scenes. The scene where Rachel is "dreaming" of seeing the vampire in her boudoir and then is wakened quickly by her brother even gave me a bit of a jolt. The acting is okay but pedestrian, and there is not much here in terms of great sets or effects. Nonetheless The Return of Dracula is a nice little film with a different twist to Dracula lore that I found interestingly conceived.